Chapter 71

EP.71 The Flower Snake, or Rather, the Foolish Saintess Who Went to Buy a Camera

The prize money is ten million won.

This 1:1 tournament is different from the last one, as it only restricts the participation of the highest tier, Rainbow, so many broadcasters in the upper ranks of Red and Orange will participate.

I, who barely made it to the top tier Orange and only when playing my main healer priest, might just be deluding myself if I think I can win against such formidable competitors.

“...”

Still, though.

Even if I don’t win, they say that excellent performance or capturing good scenes will earn prizes and rewards.

Participating in this tournament is well-timed for me in many ways.

I’ve developed an interest in 1:1 battles, and it’s better than giving up without even trying.

While I might have made a hasty decision driven by the money, I don’t regret it.

And because of that,

I was getting ready to go out, layering my clothes.

To buy a camera.

Before leaving home, I did a final check of my condition.

My cheeks, flushed with excitement at the prospect of a new challenge, seemed especially beautiful today.

Though the clothes I wore were a bit thin for the weather, my surprisingly healthy body was well-insulated against the cold, so I wouldn’t have any problems.

I smiled at my reflection in the mirror.

The deep lines at the corners of my mouth and the gentle curves of my eyes seemed to exude kindness.

The atmosphere around the saintess in the mirror suggested that she would lend a helping hand and go out of her way for anyone who asked.

If you’re curious about what kind of atmosphere that is,

it’s as if this woman, though very reluctant, would eventually agree to let someone touch her chest.

...That’s the kind of vibe she gives off,

but with this body, I wouldn’t do such a thing for anyone.

Putting aside such pointless thoughts, I left the house.

...

The cool air outside seemed to welcome me, penetrating deep into my lungs.

Despite the gentle breeze brushing against my skin through the fabric,

I didn’t feel as cold as I expected.

Just pleasantly cool.

Lately, I’ve been going out more often.

Going out.

It’s a bit surprising that I don’t feel any resistance to going outside anymore.

Whenever I think about it, I remember how, in the past, I would only go to the convenience store in the middle of the night, terrified of being seen by others, and only when I was starving.

Thinking back, my mental state back then was really messed up.

I was the kind of person who would philosophize about life and feel inferior even to falling leaves.

To put it nicely, I was sensitive; to put it bluntly, I was a lunatic.

Comparing then to now,

a lot has changed.

I no longer cower and dig myself into the ground, wary of my surroundings, even when nothing is wrong.

To prove it, look at me now.

“Wow...”

“Wow, what is it? She’s really, really beautiful.”

“She might be a celebrity.”

“Yeah, but she looks familiar...”

“You’ve never seen someone like her. Stop lying.”

“No, I really think I’ve seen her somewhere. But she’s really, really beautiful.”

“She’s so beautiful it makes me want to curse...”

The passersby nearby couldn’t take their eyes off me, scrutinizing me from head to toe, but I’ve developed a tolerance for it.

Now, it’s more of a nuisance than anything, and I’ve reached a state where I can just let it go.

Who would believe that I used to be the kind of person who would shy away from any gaze, hiding in the shadows like a thief?

I can accept their compliments and praise because I know their intentions are good, regardless of their tone.

After all, they’re compliments.

It’s impossible not to feel good.

There’s another reason why I feel good about compliments on my appearance.

I tend to identify with the saintess in the game.

It’s only natural, since I’ve become her.

And since I created that appearance,

when people compliment my looks, it feels like they’re admiring me.

This aligns with my inherent need for attention,

so even though I pretend not to care,

I walk down the street with my ears perked up, feeling elated by the shower of compliments.

Am I really just a show-off?

“...”

I headed toward my destination.

To buy a camera.

As I walked through the city, I soon spotted the office supply store I had visited once before.

I had bought a microphone here when I decided to start streaming seriously.

I went inside.

The bell on the door jingled to welcome me, but

after a while, no one appeared.

Are they busy with something else?

Should I go further in?

Just as I took a few steps, I heard voices from behind a thin partition made of styrofoam.

Two men were talking.

I know it’s rude to eavesdrop, but

now that I’m here, I can’t just leave, so I made some noise, but they didn’t seem to notice and continued their conversation.

“Why is the money missing? Explain it to me.”

“I told you. I filled it with my own money. It’s not related anymore.”

“So why did you fill it with your own money? Did you get robbed or something? If so, you should have said so.”

“It’s not that, man.”

“Did you get charmed by a flower snake or something?”

“...Maybe.”

“Huh? I was just joking. You, who treats women like dirt, what...”

“Why are you prying so much?”

“It seems like you’re serious. What’s your philosophy, man? Buy cheap, sell expensive, and live comfortably by taking advantage of the naive, right?”

“Who’s listening? And I never said that. Don’t exaggerate.”

“It’s the same thing. You, who used to call store owners who give things away for free idiots, what’s up with you? A flower snake?”

“It’s not a flower snake. I gave it to her.”

“Finally, we’re getting somewhere! Who is she? What did she do to you to make you give her a 300,000 won item for free?”

“I got 30,000 won. And I don’t understand why you keep bringing up the past. It didn’t affect the store’s revenue, so it’s fine, right?”

“It’s fine now, but I’m worried that if that customer, or whatever, comes back, you’ll give them more.”

“...”

“Why aren’t you answering? Even if it doesn’t affect the revenue, it still comes out of your account. Who gives away a 300,000 won item for 30,000 won? Why are you hurting yourself in business?”

“I have nothing to say about that.”

“You said we should open a bigger store, not in this boring countryside, but in the city, right? We could live comfortably by serving a reasonable number of customers, right?”

“...”

“I don’t like saying this, but you’re acting strange. You used to call store owners who get taken advantage of by customers idiots. Are you an idiot? A fool? Answer me.”

“If you were in my position, it wouldn’t have been much different.”

“You’re right. What kind of woman could make you, who’s as cold as a rock, bend over? If she comes back, I’ll just take everything from her bank account...”

“Hey, you really have a way with words. Why don’t you help out a bit since you’re here.”

“I was going to anyway. Tch...”

They made rustling sounds as they got up from their chairs.

They seemed to be getting ready to start business and finally noticed me.

“Oh, customer! We didn’t know you were here! Did you wait long...”

The two men froze as soon as they made eye contact.

One of them was the person who recommended the microphone to me last time, so I greeted him.

“Hello.”

“Oh, you’re back. What do you need?”

“A camera for streaming...”

“A camera, you mean! A webcam!”

“Right.”

As soon as they realized my purpose,

they became bustling, as if they had received an order from someone in a high position.

They went to the display shelf and started whispering to each other,

and my unusually good hearing picked up their conversation.

“Is it her, by any chance?”

“What’s the point of saying it?”

“Why did you charge her 30,000 won instead of giving it away for free? I knew you were obsessed with money, but you’re really ruthless.”

“That’s different from what you just said.”

“I didn’t know she was so beautiful.”

“Is beauty everything? We’re businesspeople. We live by making a profit. What’s so special about being beautiful... Pfft.”

“You’re not in a position to say that.”

“You talk tough, but when you make eye contact, you can’t think straight.”

“Damn. I thought she was a doll. Did you see? Her eyes are blue. Is her hair dyed? Do all dyed hair look this beautiful these days?”

“How would I know? She doesn’t look foreign. Maybe she’s mixed. But what are you getting at? Do you know that item is no longer available?”

“I’m the fool, the fool.”

“Hey, man... I don’t care, but you fill the gap.”

“I’m selling it. No matter what, it’s a matter of survival. Does it make sense to give something away just because it’s beautiful? She didn’t